15 Films Critics Got Right (But Audiences Got Wrong)

Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (Average rating: 7.1)

IMDb: 6.6

Contagion is great. It's pretty much the best disaster movie since Titanic and while it was miss-marketed, it is still a terrifying movie and a brilliantly-done work from the ever-reliable director Steven Soderbergh.

Admittedly, Contagion was not well marketed and these false expectations could be why audiences seemed to engage with Contagion less. The film was marketed as a thriller, when in fact it's a slow, highly-realistic ensemble piece which lacks action and is mainly just people talking. The deceptive marketing might've been annoying, but Contagion should not be written off.

It is a truly haunting and stunningly accurate look at the social effects of a worldwide pandemic that's more disturbing than most horror films could ever dream of being, while it's also got a great ensemble cast delivering the goods.

The fact that it lacks action and is very grounded is what makes the film so special, since it helps the whole thing feel scarier and more real. We already have more than enough silly disaster movies in the world (thanks Roland Emmerich!) and here, for once, is a movie which actually makes viewers feel the effects of a disaster. Many audiences hate movies like 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow for being too stupid, so why was this more intelligent disaster movie written-off?

It is absolutely a film that should be watched, even if Jude Law's Australian accent was shocking.

Should Be Rated: 7.8